The present disclosure relates generally to the field of airborne radar systems. The present disclosure more specifically relates to sensing and detecting the inference of increased turbulence susceptibility with elapsed flight time.
In general, airborne weather radars detect turbulence by measuring Doppler spectral width. This radar observable spectral width correlates to the magnitude of the turbulence; however, the spectral width is an environmental parameter, which does not vary from aircraft to aircraft. In addition to spectral width, the turbulence magnitude experienced by the crew, passengers, and aircraft is dependent on the aircraft's dynamic response to the wind field. The dynamic response varies with aircraft type, aircraft speed, aircraft weight, aircraft altitude, and other flight conditions. In some installations, however, aircraft dependent parameters, such as weight and aircraft type are not available to the radar. Thus, there is a need to provide accurate turbulence information and alerts that do not rely on aircraft specific data. Further, there is a need to provide turbulence information that does not rely on high-fidelity aerodynamic data and pilot in the loop simulation methodologies, which can be a significant cost source. Further still, there is a need for a system for and a method of inferring of increased turbulence susceptibility with elapsed flight time.